Richard’s selection for the North’s one-day squad to play the South in the UAE this March set the seal on a remarkable first full season with Northamptonshire. The Blackpool-born seamer – a pillar of his hometown club in the Northern Premier League for a number of years, and a Minor Counties player with Cumberland since 2010 – secured a trial at Wantage Road in 2015, and tasted first-class cricket towards the end of that summer against Australia and Glamorgan. Joining the club initially on a ‘match-by-match’ basis, he soon did enough in 2016 to secure a full three-year deal – impressing in the shorter version with a blend of accuracy and genuine pace. In the successful T20 campaign last season he was the Steelbacks’ most economical bowler, conceding less than six runs an over.

Northamptonshire County Cricket Club (NCCC) has announced its association with the first ever T20:ProAm cricket event, a unique opportunity for amateur club players to take part alongside professional players and legends from yesteryear.

Ben Duckett made an unbeaten 92 off 54 balls as NatWest T20 Blast title holders Northamptonshire Steelbacks stepped up their challenge in the north group by beating Worcestershire Rapids by 21 runs at New Road.

Northamptonshire wicket keeper David Murphy has made the decision to retire from professional cricket. The 28-year-old is to leave Wantage Road at the end of the season in order to pursue a career outside of the game.

Ryan McLaren’s T20 career-best 77 in 50 balls narrowly failed to see Lancashire home against Northamptonshire in an extraordinary NatWest T20 Blast game at Wantage Road that the home side won by 11 runs.

Richard Levi and Adam Rossington help blast Northamptonshire to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Worcestershire at Wantage Road to keep them firmly in the qualification mix from the North Group of the NatWest T20 Blast.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks shaded a two-run victory over Leicestershire in the NatWest T20 Blast at Grace Road after rain halted proceedings with Alex Wakely's side just the right side of the DLS calculation